Austin: what to do in the liberal heart of Texas

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The fastest growing city in the United States, Austin revels in its status as an oasis of liberal, independent spirit in a notoriously conservative state. It’s young, it’s perky and it’s more than a little fun. Austin exudes a near-freakish energy and, on the surface, this is propelled by twanging guitars and pounding drums. It has carved itself a niche as the self-styled live music capital of the country, and at night every building with the lights on seems to also have a live band playing.

But beyond the gig-hopping and tinnitus, Austin has enjoyable depth. And beyond the cool are hearty doses of big ol’ Texan heart and pride.

Museums and attractions

That pride, of course, occasionally manifests in big-is-best bragging. It comes as no surprise to learn that the Texas State Capitol (www.tspb.state.tx.us) is six metres taller than the national Capitol in Washington DC. And just in case that’s not prominent enough, it is made of a frankly unmissable pink sandstone.

Bats flying at Congress Avenue Bridge (Alamy)

The grandstanding is taken down a notch inside, and in its place an old Southern feel gently wafts over visitors. Brass chandeliers from 1890 come embossed with a large Lone Star, wooden shutters lend elegance to the Senate room while wooden chairs embossed with the state seal look like relics. The guide admits more modern arrangements are in place when the House is sitting.

It’s worth taking the tours to delve into details that may otherwise be missed – the portrait of Davy Crockett in his Indian-style skins, the flag from the Battle of San Jacinto and the monument to the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo, a key event in the Texas Revolution.

Such characters and skirmishes form the backbone of the Texan self-image, and are covered in far more detail inside the Bullock Texas State History Museum (thestoryoftexas.com). The colonial border-shifting, brief independence and battlefield derring-do prior to joining the US in 1845 are presented mercifully and engagingly, but it’s the sections on Texas’s primary industries that really give a taste of the state.

In the early days, land was Texas’s primary asset and was granted to pretty much anybody who wanted some. The cost to local native tribes was appalling – traditional lands suddenly became private property and commercial buffalo hunters wiped out the much depended-upon herds within the space of a decade. However, the information on ranching, longhorns and cattle-driving goes some way to explaining the deep Texan attachment to the land.

Elsewhere, the section on cotton – “white gold” – explains why Texas was an enthusiastic, secessionist slave state, and the displays on the relatively recent oil boom account for the forward-looking, JR Ewing side of its personality.

Just north of the museum is the University of Texas campus, and the student body is part of what gives Austin its youthful vigour. The campus is no Harvard in terms of beauty, but it does have two big-hitting attractions. The Harry Ransom Center (hrc.utexas.edu) is only moderately interesting beyond its two key exhibits – an original Gutenberg bible and the first photograph ever taken – but the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum (lbjlibrary.org) is a gripping time sink.

Few US presidents had reigns as eventful as local boy LBJ, and his library is as much about the era as the man. Vietnam, Cold War brinkmanship, Civil Rights and social upheaval make a potent brew – and the chunk that concentrates on the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination is engrossing to avid conspiracy theorist and casual nostalgic alike.

Austin is one of the homes of cowboy culture (Alamy)

Outdoors

Johnson’s wife, known universally as Lady Bird, had as much of an impact on Austin as the president. She led the campaign to save what was then Town Lake from development, and it was renamed Lady Bird Lake in her honour. The parkland around this dammed bulge in the Colorado River is the preferred outlet for Austin’s active side.

It’s a city where you don’t see too many XL T-shirts, and a quick look at the numbers pounding the jogging tracks or putting in stern paddle work in a kayak shows why.

But Lady Bird Lake is more than an outdoor gym – it’s a slice of passably rural tranquillity, smack bang in the middle of the city. For those wanting to get on the water, the Texas Rowing Center (texasrowingcenter.com) hires out kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards by the hour.

For those wanting to get in the water, however, the Barton Springs Pool (austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool) in Zilker Park is one of the most glorious public pools on earth. Fed by a series of artesian springs and covering three acres, going back to a local leisure centre pool afterwards feels like an almighty comedown.

It’s just wild enough to give a sense of adventure – swimmers share the water with turtles and salamanders – while the views out over the city skyscrapers are entrancing.

Beyond the dam that keeps the pool’s water at a consistent level, the Barton Creek Greenbelt disappears towards the Central Texas Hill Country. For just under eight miles, it cuts through the residential sprawl with only the vaguest hint of suburbia. Wildflowers, limestone cliffs, curiosity-provoking cavelets and small swimming holes make it feel more national park than state capital.

At dusk hikers, joggers, kayakers and rowers converge around the Congress Avenue Bridge for Austin’s greatest natural spectacle. Around a million bats live under the bridge, and when night starts to fall they take off in search of food. They form a spotty, screeching black cloud, darting across the horizon.

Skip fine dining and tuck into BBQ - Austin food at its best (Alamy)

Eating and drinking

Bats aren’t the only things that spring to life as the sun goes down. It is safe to say that Austin is not a teetotaller’s city.

The bar action tends to cluster in a few pockets. Sixth Street is the best known drinking strip, but can be crowded. In the Red River District, an anything-goes attitude seems to rule. There are neighbourhood drinking dens such as Valhalla (facebook.com/valhallatavern), where you can bring in pizza from next door and play arcade games to a rock soundtrack. Stubb’s (stubbsaustin.com) is a sprawling complex of pastiche hickery blessed with an excellent gig-booking team and is worth a try.

For a truly memorable pub crawl (mind-erasing properties of bourbon permitting) Rainey Street is indisputably special. A recent change in planning laws saw this street of quaint old houses re-zoned as part of the central business district. That meant laxer licensing, and enterprising would-be publicans started installing bars inside the houses.

Clive Bar (clivebar.com) has managed to maintain some of the grandma’s-house vibe while adding a touch of country club swank, a buzzy outdoor terrace and potent cocktails.

Arguably the most loveable of the offering, however, is Bangers (bangersaustin.com). Its Munich-style beer garden has a dog run to cater for duplicitous mutt-owners who pretend they’re taking Rover for a walk but are really working their way through the 101-strong draught beer menu.

The grand symphony of Austin dining is the barbecue. The most dedicated meat pilgrims will happily line up for hours to be able to sink their teeth into the divine works at Franklin’s (franklinbarbecue.com). The owners have no interest in speeding the queues along, and actively advise patrons to bring fold-up chairs and sunscreen while they wait. Less dedication is required at Lamberts (lambertsaustin.com), which is similarly excellent. Options for the feast include maple and coriander-crusted pork ribs or brown sugar and coffee-rubbed brisket.

Unsurprisingly, the city’s dining scene is best when serving up food to go with a beer – tacos, Tex-Mex and food trucks win here. You can dress up and clink crystal over white tablecloths, but that is missing the point of being in Austin in the first place.

The bar action tends to cluster in a few pockets

Getting there

- British Airways (ba.com) is the only airline offering direct flights to Austin from the UK. Economy class returns start at £564.

Getting around

- While not entirely pedestrian-friendly, Austin is one of the rare Southern US cities that’s just about manageable on foot. Passable bus services (capmetro.org) connect key points in the city.

Car rental from Avis (avis.com) and Enterprise (enterprise.com) is available at the airport and is considerably cheaper if you book online in advance. Having your own wheels can be a nuisance when it comes to parking in the city, though.